Video: Why the Profoto A1 is a 'gamechanger' for wedding photographers

Daniel Inskeep and Rachel Gulotta of popular photography YouTube channel Mango Street Lab recently got to test out the Profoto A1—an ultra-high-end $1,000 speedlight that Profoto is calling "the world's smallest studio flash." The flash has raised a lot of eyebrows with that steep price tag, but as they explain in their short 'review' of the A1, Daniel and Rachel believe this is a 'gamechanger' for wedding photographers.

Why is that exactly? Because while it might look like a speedlight, it offers a combination of power, simplicity, and reliability that has the duo tossing their Canon speedlights in the bin.

Their adulation for these flashes really comes down to three main advantages:

1. Simplicity and Ease of Use – The menus are easy to navigate and syncing multiple flashes is a cinch.

2. Built-in Air Remote – No need to purchase a separate air remote, just use the A1 on your camera to control all of your other Profoto lights.

3. Fast Recycle Time – The duo's favorite feature by far, this ensures that they don't miss key shots, even when they're running on only a partial charge.

Check out the video to hear their thoughts on this light, and share your own in the comments down below. Are you considering the Profoto A1? Are the advantages worth the price tag? And if they're not, what would you recommend instead?

It kills me to say this, but I am considering it... and I don't shoot weddings or events– I'd probably never use it on camera unless my Profoto Air remote stopped working. It comes down to travel assignments and getting into/around corp. offices. Right now I have (2) B1's and a B2 in my pelican roller case, as well as (3) "cheap" lumopros with built in optical slaves. The B1's do most of the heavy lifting while the B2 is good for an assistant to carry when the shoot is more run and gun. The Lumopros are my small area lights and backups. Sitting in a separate case, almost never used, are (3) Canon 600-RT's and the ST-3. I've found these to be a pain to control and they don't play with Profoto. I might replace all the speedlites for an A1 or two so I have everything on the same system. The only thing I'd want is a light stand bracket with an adapter so I can put Profoto speed rings on it. Is this all worth the price tag? That I just don't know.

Can anyone explain how the Profoto A1 is better than a Canon 600EX-RT II? I have a 600EX-RT II and I love it. If I had a choice between buying 2 more 600EX-RT IIs or 1 Profoto A1, why would I choose the A1?

I ordered an AD200. The head was jammed on and would not come off. It did not fire reliably. I returned it. I have the Profoto B1s which are completely reliable and extremely easy to use. In a wedding as a sole shooter simplicity of operation is essential. I have the A1 on order to evaluate. If it is as easy to operate and as reliable as my B1s it will be incorporated into my wedding kit replacing my speedlites. Is it a game changer? Probably not. Will it bring ease of use, reduce the possibility of error and be as reliable as lights can get? I'm willing to gamble on it and see if that is true. Is it expensive? Not nearly as much as defending against a lawsuit for failure to perform because of equipment malfunctions.

gamechanger for the bouquet toss. In 2 years of wedding photography only 3 of my brides have thrown the bouquet. Most cost in the £100s and they just dont want to throw them anymore. Thats a game changer :)

@Teila Day. Yes, I understand that. I used Honeywell 880s back in the 80's and as recently as 2004 spent over $1000ea. for Quantum flashes that were the darling of wedding and event photographers. However it is foolish to buy a tool that is frantically more expensive when the competition matches or exceeds the performance at a much lower price.I would also note that in this business excessive spending on gear is a major driver of failure.As for the menu, I can see the advantage of large print for us old guys but the competition does not fail in this regard. I would also note that large type is hardly a barrier to entry for the competition.

Armandino, I actually think powerful flashes with good features (e.g. dual reflectors, large grip, etc.) will be around for a while, but you're right, they are somewhat dinosaurs. I haven't come across a speed light that I'd rather shoot with over my old Metz irrespective of brand name. Other than the big Metz, I'll stick with our gaggle of Nikon SB-800s until they die... I won't trade them for the world.

Photomonkey; agreed, foolish to pay more for a lesser product, however I can see the utility in paying more to get more, if this Profoto flash had offered more power + even faster recycling than the big Metz, big grip, 2nd reflector, and nice large menu for this gal's aging eyes.. for $1k... then I might actually be inclined... :)

Well you have a plethora of Godox options that work with the AD200 that you can put on your camera, that are even chapter than the AD200 if you are into that sort of need. You can get a mix of 3 or more different flashes with one featuring a hot shoe for the price of one only of these.

I have Profoto gear Canon's top flashes and Godox flashes. Reliability and ease of use of the Profoto gear is, in my opinion , as well as that of all pro wedding photographers I know who use them, excellent. Set up in a few seconds, works immediately, never one single fail so far. Not my experience with Godox. Price/value is very good. But it feels cheap, firmware updates are cumbersome to perform, sometimes they misfire. I had one stop working. I usually prefer to support European companies as much as possible, too. I don't know whether the A1 is worth the $1k. Comparisons regarding the distribution of light I have seen (much more even), are intriguing and indicate a much better performance in that respect. I guess the ease of use and reliability are top notch, too. The good thing: there is no need to bash it and refer to Godox (if not tested thoroughly that has to be taken with a grain of salt anyway) for a better value. Just ignore it if it doesn't suit you.

I thought Canikon / Sonytax, ..., prices were high. I guess I was wrong. A $1,000???Good flash, but a "game changer"??? That's a "flashy" marketing statement.But, Pro Photo, if you could partner with Leica (for a share of the profit), put a Leica logo and a red dot on it, then you can sell it for $4,999.99 and you'd get away with it.

For Daniel and Rachel: The background music while you are talking is most irritating, and too loud.In some parts, it is dominant and higher than your voices (especially Daniel's). Get rid of it.

I have purchased and used Profoto equipment. It is expensive, but I have found that the color of the light is FAR more consistent from its lowest setting to full power. Having said that, in the digital world, Godox is just fine. I have used them as well. They don't seem to be quite as sturdy, but I don't recommend dropping either brand down a flight of stairs.

You need to know from where they are coming...If you use just pop-up flash then it is amazing revelation for you to be able use many flashes with one on you camera!

I can get this speedlight head shape by some bit, but not the wireless triggering and so on... Totally get the user interface when combined with other flashes in studio.... But then again not as who has big flashes and still uses speed light on camera?

@daddyoPersonally I find the natural lightsources suifficient for the the job, never having to go above iso 2500. 5-6 years ago I used flash for reportages, bouncing the light as much as possible, as I really don't like the shadows an onboard flash creates. But apart from the shadows, the flash is well flashing. That's very intrusive on the guest. Not using flash allows me be of a "fly on the wall". For the portraits part, using reflectors are simply easier and faster. I can provide more setups at the same quality as flash (or better). For me is not about being anti-something, but instead because it makes commercial sense to not flash under certain conditions and for certain job-types.

@christian.... how do you shoot in dark receptions when settings call for ISO 2500, 1.4 (or 2.8) and 1/10 shutter speeds? Joe McNally says it best: "I'm an avaliable light shooter, if I have a flash on me, it's available to use for lighting. It's my available light..." :-)

I very rarely hit such dark receptions. But when I do, I have told my customer that their light setup will get them somewhat grainy images, as I have to bump the iso. The darker the scene gets, the more intrusive people will also find the flash. Using the flash under these conditions also doesn't show the true mood of the scene, as the customer intended it to look. Many have spent a lot of effort in lighting up the rooms, and then it gets muted by used flash. As I said, the right tool for the right job, and most of the time the hotshoe flash isn't the right tool any longer.

@christian -- I have to assume that you are not an event photographer based on your comments -- mgblack74 hit the nail right on the head. Your website would seem to bear out my assumption too -- lots of very nice portraits -- mostly done with strobe/flash lighting.Ambient lighting is great when it makes sense, but many events (e.g. weddings & corporate) simply require using flash in a lot of situations.P.S. The only time flash is obtrusive to guests at a wedding, is during the ceremony. Guest fully expect flash to be used by a professional photographer during other times.

A photographer who is respected for their work will have clients adjust their scenario to suit the artist.

If a client wants to preserve their desire for a dimly lit scene then consider how adding light may not accurately portray the ambiance of the event. Most event photographers who use flash are producing wild misrepresentations of the event.

A friend who shoots weddings sets a couple of flashes high up, pointed at the room ceiling so guests don't get a bright burst of light directly in their face, yet the flashes add some ambient light without contrasty shadows.

Maybe I'm spoiled here, but in our company we can't trust Godox or even Profoto for our camera systems, so we custom build our gearand we use industrial LED's designed for high-spec mission critical systemsrated at up-to 1000 watts powered by Nickel Metal Hydride NP1B-type belt-worn batteries. Enormous power at 6000K colour temps works GREAT!

The key is the multiple NP1B batteries which are attached to a belt ANDcan power your camera too. A custom Electrosonics 700 to 1900 MHZradio is used to trigger the flashes that is immune to almost ALL RFI/EM interference!

I should warn you though that an Electrosonics RF modem is around $2000 PER RADIO so it is a tad expensive BUT it is fully Mil-Spec!

So while the ProFoto is good, it is NOT truly High-End!There are others BUT you are looking at around $10,000 US+for fully Mil-Spec Flash systems that are TRULY MISSION CRITICAL Capable!

@HenryEckstein -- impressive sounding post, but exactly what company do you work for (or own) that uses this tech?Also, while weddings are certainly 'mission-critical' tasks, they do not call for your over the top technical approach.I'm afraid you have watched too many space movies. :-)

Lead acid batteries strapped to the heads of photographers would be way more reliable option in that case! I would say bullet proof solution! If you are short of mission critical quality straps then try mission critical epoxy from Home Depot! With just $10 spent you can glue those batteries to the heads of assistants!You would need to be careful not to spill acid on to the heads of photographers when they are running critical missions otherwise it all sounds well. Way to go!

For those of you wondering WHY I need such a setup we do a lot of Aerospace-related and Heavy Industrial site video production (i.e. Trains, Aluminum Smelters, Large LNG tankers, etc, etc.)

Sooooo....the REASON we go big on flashes because of the environments which are dangerous because they are extremely HOT, ultra cold or are explosive environments (ie. in an Aluminum plant or Natural Gas plant!)so we have to SPEND the big bucks to make something intrinsically safe and high performance.

For power we use up to EIGHT NP-1B-style Camera batteries. We suggest either the Global Media Pro Lithium Ion at 75 Watts at 14.8 volts and 440 grams (0.97 lbs) per battery. This are connected in series to a FAST DISCHARGE supercapacitor and IGBT Switchsince the power discharge rate on the NP's just isn't fast enough to pulse an LED bank at 6000K+ colour temperatures.

four NP-1B's on front lower pockets and two on top pocketsfor LOTS of flash life.

For the LED's we use MOUSER supplied LED's 5700K to 6000K 150 Watts per bank1000+ Candelas luminosity from Osram Optosemiconductors. You'll be spending a few thousand for making a 20 by 10 array of these.

For the Supercapacitors, we use Tecate Group capacitorsattached to a IGBT switch that does as fast as 20 nanosecondpulses for a super-fast high current discharge from the normally 1/3 second discharge of the supercapacitors.

They can recharge as fast as 1/3rd of a second so we wire MULTIPLES in a group discharged in sequence to allow as fast as 60 fps at 1/240th of a second continuous flashes held for tens of seconds when shoot videoon 60 fps Canon C300's mk2 or 24 fps Canon 1DC's

The NP-1B's can be swapped out one at a timeAT ANY Time for easy replacement as neededso our UPTIME is whatever we need for they day.The system i described is of course more simply described than what it truly is, but our engineersonly needed about 200 hours to put it all togetherand test it for FCC Class B certification and CSA/ULelectrical safety certifications (which cost a fortune to do!)

We won't show plans or schematics here because you LEGALLY MUST have the certifications for bothliability insurance purposes and site-safety issues, so they are around $50,000 US to get all of them on top of your build costs! It's Not Cheap!

Since NP-1B's can be recharged in as fast as 3 hours,we only need 30 of them for a 16 hour shooting day.Of course, 16 hours are not typical as this would onlyhappen during a 3 day shoot BUT for cinema productionthis type of setup is ideal!

Since the flashes are only used typically for less than5 to 10 seconds in pulsed mode on the still photo parts of a shoot (i.e. in flash mode) and on only for between 30 seconds to 2 minutes per scene in scene-lighting mode (i.e. used as a Sun-Gun!),power consumption isn't all that bad so 30 NP-1B batteries DOES in fact last all day!

I agree the idea of Lithium-ion battery powered speedlight is a game changer. But unfortunately it dose not go to Profoto. Godox built their first v850/860 years ago. Now they already released 2nd generation v860ii which works at the same level as A1 with less than $200 price. Profoto A1 is just a follower.

A gamechanger? You, the photographer, have to be the gamechanger. Or nothing would change much. This Profoto A1 might eliminate some guess works and make your work easier but this is the area where experienced pros can figure out how by their knowledge and experiences. This guy in the video, is not a gamechanger but he is a happy camper with his new expensive toy. I'm happy for him. :)

True that. It will allow people with even lower IQ, skill and experience to shoot weddings. That's exactly what we do not need.HAHAHA..."this may not be for everyone, so just hit the like button and move on" (or something like that). "pulverize that like button".

- Also simple and easy to use- All got air-remotes built in and work with TTL- All of them got li-ion batterys so they also got very fast recycle times.- The AD200/AD360 give you 2-4 times as much light as a speedlite.

At least these guys declare that they have been paid a flight to Sweden and have received a $1000 gift.

It is disturbing to see how many influencers have received this treatment and now -- with more or less technical knowledge -- try to sell news of something remarkable, pretending the price isn't utterly ridiculous. How many takes did they need to say $1000 with a straight face?

Profoto even engaged the support of natural light shooters that one can now find embarrassingly singing the praise of flash photography.

There is at least one review on YouTube of someone who only received a loaner unit. Guess what: This person actually finds aspects to criticize!

I hope not. Profoto does actually make some great and unique products. The B1 was a first. Profoto's track record is much longer than Godox's and if you're a heavy user of day in and day out strobes, Profoto won't let you down. Godox is a new player. The AD-200 isn't even a year old and we don't know how it will be in 3 years time (and I have one). I'm a huge Godox fan, I have bought into their ecosystem, but there is still something about a Chinese brand where I'm still half expecting a fail during a shoot. Time will lessen that anxiety and so far I've been nothing but impressed with Godox. But to hope Profoto dies? That's not good for the industry. Plus I think they have enough profit margin to stay healthy.

@mgblack74, I used the AD360 for a years worth of weddings with no issues and also the AD600 for 2 years, no issues yet. The bulbs in the AD600 are pretty solid my stand has fallen over a few times but no bulb damage :)

“Gamechanger” always seems to be the phrase that those who get money/free gear to review tend to call things. I’ve been on to the term ever since a reviewer on Steve Huff referred to the Samsung 85 1.4 as a gamechanger for similarly vague reasons. It does fall short of the holy grail of crappy sensationalism, the “Is the the new _____ a gamechanger?” title.

This looks like a very nice flash, possibly the best on the market, but “Gamechanger” and “Does the same thing but a lot better” are two different things.

I agree with your overall message but the A1 is definitely not "possibly the best flash on the market". There are far better off-camera flashes (with more power for less money, plus better mounting options) and even in the on-camera category there is enough competition that "best" requires a clarification of priorities. The A1 is most certainly not the "best" independently of what one's priorities are.

. . . and I don't think Profoto will be excited about this video as the images do not have a high end look and feel – like their product line does. In fact as wedding photographers I am surprised to see this as a sample of what you create. I expect this video to be pulled very soon. You seem like a happy couple though.

Very true, unfortunately. Look at the number of lens reviews this year - one. Instead, we get lame "sample photos". Also, they censor such comments from their readers. I suspect this thread will be deleted, too :-(

I have photographed 983 weddings, this is not a game changer. Yes it may recycle quicker but I don’t machine gun it. The AD200 is great but I’m not sure I would even call that a game changer. They call it the worlds smallest portable studio flash. At 75w it’s also one of the weakest

Ha, I'll answer my own question: *free* marketing. And you got what you paid for, Profoto.

In this case, that's two knuckleheads who spend 75% of the ad insisting that the product they're shilling "isn't for everyone" and then demand that we "like" and "follow" them anyway. (Why?) Hey guys, should we "like" or "follow" Profoto too? Eh? They don't care.

Meanwhile: why is the flash a "game-changer" of a strobe? Why is a pair of them worth $2000? Faster recycling is the only serious functional claim I heard. Not much of a "demo." There was some kind of muddled claim about "balance" or "weight" in there too, I guess?

Hey guys, what about the QUALITY of the light? Its color, its consistency, its fall-off characteristic? Isn't that the bedrock of Profoto's shi-shi brand? No mention of it. Crap samples, too.

If I were Profoto's chief marketer, somebody would get talked-to over this result. Not the best first impression for the new merch!

Question for anyone who has invested in ProFoto and considering this "speedlight"...

Would you use this flash with a strobe or would you just use it because you have the trigger already?

Point is if this is for those that already have ProFoto I can't think of why you would use these if you already have strobes. Can you justify a $1000 speedlight just because you have the trigger already?

You are sooooooooooo on the mark!!!!!!.....and hey...you can buy 3 AD300's for the price of one of ProFotos!!!!!!!!!! Those Swedes love to charge high prices. (I will say ProFoto products are built well, though).PLUS...you get bare bulb with the AD200!!!!!!!!!!! That is sweeeeeeeet!!!!!!..I use them for ANYTHING...except shooting a wedding. Ick.:-)

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